Mounting arrangement



July 22, 1930. F. KESSLER ET AL 1,771,088

MOUNTING ARRANG EIENT I Filed Dec. 14, 1927 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 Frank Kessler Emil Hn'bifl Headland Jul-m Bree I'TcEriudla July 22, 1930. F. KESSLER ET AL 1,771,088

MOUNTING ARRANGEENT.

Filed Dec. 14. 1927 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 Fig: 3

hu' 5' n"Tu"r' Frank Kessler' Cecil Huber? Inlundlancl John Eras PTulIrmdla Patented July 222 193% Lauren stares; PATENT cur os FRANK KESSLER, CECIL ROBERT VIOODLAND, AND JOHN CREE MCGRINDLE, OF LIVER- POOL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNGRS T0 ASSOCIATED TELEPHDNE AND TELEGRAPH COM- PANY, OE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPOEATIGET OF DELAYVAEE MOUNTING: ARRANGEMENT Application filed December 14, 132?. Serial lie. 289,844, and in Great Britain February 24, 1927.

The )resent invention relates to arrangements for detachably mounting a number of pieces of electrical apparatus of similar nature, and more particularly the mounting of automatic switches and similar apparatus as used in telephone systems on a suitable rack. It has previously been common practice in telephone systems employing automatic switches, to make use of a number of different sizes of so-called racks or shelves to accommodate the various types of switches and relay groups forming the component parts of an automatic telephone installation. In the construction of these shelves largely used in the past, angle iron has been employed and, since this is produced by a rolling process, it requires straightening and trueing up and has to be fitted with brackets and bayonet bars before it can be used for mounting switches and relay groups so as to be readily detachable. Moreover the construction of these shelves has been such that certain pieces of apparatus such as repeating coils and condensers were permanently attached to the shelf and therefore could not be tested with their associated switch or relay group in case such switch or relay group should become faulty and should therefore be removed .for

. ustment.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a shelf wh1ch shall be simpler and therefore less expensive to produce, of umform dimensions so as to accommodate ly uniform thickness and qualityandit'can therefore be reliably stamped and folded'tb Sheet metal can be a readily obtained commercially of very nearproduce a shelf of the required shape for the direct mounting of the switches.

According to another feature of the inven tion the supporting member on which the trical apparatus, electric contacts located on r the supporting member are adapted to cooperate with similar contacts on the various pieces of apparatus whereby suitable electrical c nnections are automatically made to the piece of apparatus when itis properly in position and means are also provided for se curing the piece of apparatus to the supporting member in an intermediate position in which the two sets of contacts do not engage.

Other features of the invention relate arrangements for facilitating the placing of apparatus in position on the shelf, for supporting the apparatus cover by the same supports as hold the apparatus itself and for locking the pieces of apparatus and also their covers in position on the shelf so that no alditional securing devices are necessary when equipped shelves are packed for shipment.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of one method of carrying it into effect which should be taken into conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood however that this arrangement is given by way of example only and that various detailmodifications could readily be made in the inechanical details without departing from the spirit of the invention.

.Referring nowv to the drawings,

shows a3.perspective View of a portion of the improve dshel Eig. Qsh-oWs a side View of aheight of the mounting switch mounting plate with its condenser box partly open; Fig. 3 shows a side view of a switch mounting in. position on the shelf shown in Fig. l Fi i shows a siightl n1odilied arrangement for a relay group including provision for holding the unit on the shelf with the contact springs out of engagement and an alternative method of securing the condensers in position; while Fig. 5 shows the locking pin employed for this latter purpose.

The channel-shaped shelf 1 is made from.

sheet steel as a one-piece pressing and is provided with slots 4 and notches 5 in its top and bottom flanges at the proper distances apart. The shelf 1 is secured at its ends and if necessary atone or more intermediate positions to the usual uprights, which may be of channel or other suitable section, by the bolts 3. The vertical dimension of the shelf, that is to say the distance between the top and bottom flanges, is sufiicient to give the necessary rigidity to switches or the like which are themselves considerably greater in height, and in order to save rack space this distance will preferably be substantially equal to the vertical height of the smallest piece of apparatus it is designed to accommodate. The switch or relay mounting base 6, which is also a sheet steel pressing, is substantially channelshaped with a right-angle top portion 7 on the under side of which, in the example shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the switch or relay group ack 8 is mounted. In case the vertical base is considerably greater than that of the shelf, as will occur in the case of a complicated switch, it will generally not be satisfactory to mount the jack on the under side of'this top member, and an independent cross-piece will therefore be provided permitting the overhang of the base to be substantially the same above and below the shelf. The flanges or side members of the mounting base 6 are cut into bayonet slots in the manner shown so as to form projections 9 which flt into the guide slots 4 on the shelf. The notches 5 are provided to enable the switch base to easily located in position on the shelf before it is lowered into position in engagement with the slots 4. It will be understood that a slot 4 receives the projections 9 of two adjacent switches and is of sufficient width to allow the proper clearance between them with the covers in position.

The apparatus box 10, which is of such size as to fit snugly between the flanges of the shelf, is pivoted to the back of the mounting base 6 by means of pivots 11. and in the example shown contains the condensers 12. This arrangement by which all the components of a particular circuit are carried on the detachable portion enables a switch or'rclay group to be removed from the shelf and tested with all its circuit components. Moreover, this construction enables switches to be completely wired before installation and allows additional switches or relay groups to be added to a partly equipped shelf by simply acking them into position without any additional wiring being necessary on the shelf. When the apparatus box is closed, it is locked in position by the raised portion 13 on box 10 engagin in the depression 14 in the flange of the base plate (3. In order to limit the movement of the apparatus box 10 about its pivots 11, the sides of the box are provided with projections 15 which engage the sides of the base plate 6. in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the condensers 12 are held in position by angle-pieces 16 and screws 1?. In the modification shown in at, an alternative method of mounting is shown which is loss liable to damage the condensers and, moreover, readily caters for condensers of varying size. With this arrangement a row of holes 33 is provided at the top and bottom of the sides of the condenser box 10 and suiiicient pressure is brought to bear on the condensers 12 to hold them securely in position by the arched back-plate 32. This plate has turned-over ends which fit around locking pins 39, one of which is shown separately in Fig. 5. It will be seen that these pins are of such shape that when they are in position the spring back-plate 32 forces them back so that the notches 4O engage with the sides of the condenser box and prevent the pins being withdrawn. Clearly also, the same components may be used for mounting condensers of various sizes for which different holes will need to be used.

In Fig. 3 the base plate 6 carries the relays 26, the switch mechanism 27, the bank supports 28 and the banks 29 all of which are shown diagrammatical y. The cover 20. which is shown in position in Fig. 3, is provided with bayonet slots of the same shape as those on the mounting base and is adapted to encircle the latter so that its projections fit into the same slots on the shelf. Thus the cover is independently supported on the shell rather than by the switch itself. With the new mounting arrangement it is readily possible to arrange that the cover shall be a satisfactory {it without any danger of its binding either with its own switch base or with the covers of adjacent switches.

hen the switch is in position. on the shelf 1, as shown in Fig. 3, the projections 9 on each side of the base plate rest in the guide slots 4 and the switch ack 8 engages the shelf jack and extends the connections of the switch to the cables 24 which are supported by the bracket 23. The shelf jacks are preferably fitted on the top flange in which position they are accessible from the front for inspection or testing but if in exceptional cases more jack points should be required than could conveniently be grouped together, a further jack could be mounted on the lower flange. In Fig. 4 a. slightly modified arrangement is shown for supporting the cables, the members 34 which are of insulating material and are spaced a switch width apart serving to support the. longitudinal member 7 41. .Vith either construction the cables may if desired be protected from dust by the-cover 22. It

may happen in certain exceptional cases that more apparatus is required toform a particular unit than can be accommodated in the condenser box 10, for instance additional con densers or a repeating coil. In this case the necessary apparatus may conveniently be fitted on the back of the shelf 1 as is the con-v denser 21, or, if necessary, it may be accommodated on a special bracket above the switch, in which case it is still possible to adhere to the principle that all the apparatus required in a particular circuit shall be detachable as a single unit. In order to give the access to the-switch magnet or other apparatus for adjustment purposes, the dust cover 30 is arranged to be readily removable on withdrawing the screws 31. The arrangement is slightly different in that the dust cover 38 is a push it and does not require any screws to hold it in place. It will be appreciated that the back of the condenser box 10 forms a dust cover for the connections located behind it while if the mounting base extends above the switch jack 8, a separate dust cover would be provided for the back of that portion.

As previously mentioned, it is desirable when equipped shelves are packed for shipment that there shall be some convenient means provided for locking the apparatus in position in the shelf so that such careful packing shall not be necessary. This is effected in the present instance by means of the look ing device 18, Fig. 3, which is arranged to move about the pivot screw 19 and when in the locking position engages the bayonet slots on the mounting base and cover so as to prevent either the switch or cover being raised. An alternative form of this locking device, indicated at 36 in Fig; 4, is of substantially the same shape but extends up the vertical face of the shelf to which it is secured by a single screw 37 so that in this case it is necessary to remove the screw entirely before the switch can be unlocked.

Referring now to the arrangement'shown in Fig. 1, this also differs from that shown in Fig. 3 in that the mounting base is provided with notches 35 in its side flanges in such a position that if the mounting baseis raised sufficiently to disengage the jacks 8 and 25 but still keeping the projections 9 in the slots &, the lower part of the base may thenbe pushed slightly inwards so that the notches 35 on the switch base engage with the portion between the slots 4 and notches 5 on the shelf and thus hold the switch firmly in this position. It will of course be necessary to remove the locking device before this can be done, but as already pointed out, the locking device 18 primarily intended to hold the switches in position during transport or shipment and From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that by means of the invention a useful and novel arrangement for mounting automatic switches and like apparatus has been evolved which is more simple to manufacture and less expensive to produce than those used hitherto.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in whatmanner the same is to be performed, what we claim as new will be pointed out in the appended claims.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots along the edges of said channel, a plurality of automatic switches, and projections on said switches registering with and restingin said slots to mount said switches on said rack.

2. In amounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, a plurality of auto matic switches, covers for said switches, slots along the edges of said' rack, and projections on said switches and covers registering'with and resting in said slots to mount said switches and covers on said rack.

3. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots along the edges of said rack, a plurality of automatic switches,c0vers for said switches, and projections on said switches and covers registering with and resting in said slots for mounting said switches and covers on said rack, each slot registering with the projections of two adjacent switches and covers.

I 4. In amountingarrangement, a channelshaped mountingrack, slots alongthe upper and lower edges of said rack, a plurality of y i automatic switches, covers for said switches, and projections on said switches and covers registering with and resting in said slots to mount said switches and covers on said rack, two slots in each edge registering with projections on each switch and its cover.

5. In amounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots along the edges of said rack, an automatic switch, a plural y of projectionson said-switch registeringwith and resting in said slots to mountthe switch on the rack andhold said switch in place, electrical contacts on said rack, and co-operating contacts on said switch for engaging said other contacts to make an electrical connection when said switch is in place.

6. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots alongthe edges of said rack, an automatic switch, projections on said switch registering with and resting in said slots to mount said switch on said rack and hold said switch in place, electrical contacts on said rack, co-operating contacts on said switch 'for engaging said other contacts when said switch is in place to'make an electrical connection, and means for holding said switch in an intermediate position on said rack to prevent said co-operating contacts from engaging said other contacts.

7. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slotsalong the edges of said channel, an automatic switch comprising a base having separate pieces of apparatus mounted on its front and rear sides, and projections on said base for registering with said slots to mount said switch on said rack, said channel enclosing and forming a protection for the apparatus mounted on the rear side of said base when said switch has been mounted on said rack.

8. Ina mounting arrangement, a channelshapedmounting rack, slots along the edges of said channel, an automatic switch comprising a base having apparatus removably mounted thereon, and projections on said base for registering with said slots to mount said switch on said rack, said channel enclosing and tormim a protection for said apparatus when said switch is so mounted.

9. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped supporting member, slots along the edges of said channel, an automatic switch, means for reimovably mounting apparatus of varying sizes on the base of said'switch, and projections on saidbase for registering with said slots to mount said switch on said memher, said member enclosing and forming a protection for said apparatus when said switch is so mounted.

it). In mounting arrai'igement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots along the edges of said rack, a plurality of automatic switches, projections on said switches for registering with said slots .to mount said switches on said'rack, and means foriocking said switches against movement a't'ter said switches have been mounted on said'rack.

11. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots along the edges of said channel, a'plurality of automatic switches, projections on said switches for registering with said slots to mount said switches'on said rack, and a support mounted 011 said rack for carrying connecting cables.

12. In a mounting arrangement, a channelshaped mounting rack, slots along the edges of said channel, a plurality of automatic switches, projections on said switches for registering with said slots to mount said switches on said rack, and a support mounted on the back side of said rack for carrying connecting cables.

13. In a mounting arrangement in which a channel-shaped mounting rack is provided with slots and the switches to be mounted are provided with projections registering therewith, a set of electrical contacts on said channel and a set of contacts on said switches registering therewith, supports for cables on said channel, said cables being connected to the contacts on said channel, and a cover at tached to said cable supports and forming a protection for cables and channel contacts.

14. In a mounting arrangement for electrical switches, a rack on which said switches are mounted, electrical contacts on said rack and correspondingcontacts on said switches, cable supports on said racks for supporting the cables which are connected to said racl: contacts, and a cover for said cables and rack contacts.

l5. In a mounting arrangement, a base plate having a plane face upon which apparatus is mounted, extensions of said plate disposed at right angles to said face, and an auxiliary mounting plate hinged to said extension.

16. In a mounting arrangement, a base plate having a plane face upon which apparatus is mounted, extensions of said plate disposed at right angles to said face, an auxiliary mounting plate hinged to said extensions, and means for holding said auxiliary plate parallel to said face.

17. In a mounting arrangement, a base plate having a plane face upon which apparatus is mounted, extensions of said plate disposed at right angles to said face, an auxiliarv mounting plate hinged to said etl'tensioni'. means for mounting additional appara! us on said auxiliary plate, and means for holding said auxiliary plate against said extensions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto sul'iscribc my name this 23rd day of November, A. D. 1927. I

FRANK KESSLER.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of November, A. I). 1927.

CECIL ROBERT IVOUDLAIR' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of November, A. D. 1927.

JOHN CREE MGCRINDLE. 

